Cowboys interviewing OC Brian Schottenheimer for head coaching position – Kevin Patra, NFL.com

The Dallas Cowboys decided their fourth interview for a head coach would be an in-house candidate.

The Cowboys are interviewing offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer for their head coaching gig, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Jane Slater reported on Tuesday, per sources informed of the situation.

The 51-year-old Schottenheimer spent the past two seasons as the Cowboys offensive coordinator. He joined Dallas in 2022 as a coaching analyst.

The son of Marty Schottenheimer, Brian has extensive assistant coaching experience. His first NFL gig came in Washington as QB coach in 2001 under his father. Since then, he’s worked as a QB coach or OC for seven organizations. His first OC job came in 2006 with the New York Jets, a position he held for six seasons. He joined St. Louis in 2012 as the Rams offensive coordinator for three seasons. He also led the Seattle Seahawks offense for three seasons from 2018 to 2020.

Schottenheimer has never been a head coach or interim.

If Jerry Jones landed on Schottenheimer, it would provide some continuity for Dak Prescott and the offense after Mike McCarthy’s exit.

Cowboys coaching candidate profile: Brian Schottenheimer – David Howman, Blogging the Boys

Here is a great breakdown of what you should know about Schottenheimer.

Familiarity with Dak Prescott, others

One of the biggest motivators for Jerry Jones in considering Schottenheimer, according to reports, is his familiarity with Dak Prescott and other players on the roster. Schottenheimer is said to be well-liked within the locker room, and his relationships with players is believed to make for a smoother transition than hiring an outside candidate.

Of course, the counterargument to this notion is that the Cowboys should have just done what it took to retain Mike McCarthy if the concern was having a coach the players like. After all, Prescott and several other players publicly voiced their support for McCarthy.

Nevertheless, Schottenheimer’s hire would likely serve as a continuity hire. This may allow the team to hold on to Mike Zimmer at defensive coordinator, as well as Al Harris and several other promising assistants on the coaching staff.

Offensive continuity

In that same vein, Schottenheimer would almost certainly be hired with the idea of offensive continuity in mind. While he didn’t call plays the last two years, Schottenheimer was heavily involved in crafting the offensive game plans with McCarthy and therefore would likely keep things more or less the same offensively.

It’s unclear if Schottenheimer, who hasn’t called plays in four seasons now, would look to call plays as a head coach or bring in someone as a coordinator to call plays for him. Either way, though, don’t expect a Schottenheimer coaching staff to introduce a ton of change offensively.

In some ways, that’s a good thing. The Cowboys finished the 2023 season second in EPA/play and third in offensive success rate, and Prescott was the MVP runner up in his lone full season running the Texas Coast offense. Even this year, with so many injuries on offense, Rico Dowdle hit 1,000 rushing yards and CeeDee Lamb topped 1,000 receiving yards for the fourth straight year despite missing the final two games.

Nick Saban endorses Deion Sanders for Cowboys head coaching vacancy – Matt Galatzan, DallasCowboys on SI

A legendary college coach thinks Deion Sanders would be ready to take on the NFL.

However, there is one notable omission from that list – Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. And if you ask legendary college football head coach Nick Saban, Sanders is the man for the job.

“Me and Deion… I want him to get that job,” Saban told The Pivot podcast in a recent appearance. ”I have a tremendous amount of respect for Deion Sanders. First, he’s a great person, and he’s done a great job of marketing the program to create a lot of national interest.

“He’s always been successful, whether it was at Jackson State, high school, or now in Colorado. His teams have always been well coached.”

To his credit, Saban does have a point.

In just two years with Colorado, Sanders has turned the Buffaloes from one of the worst programs in the nation, into a fringe Big 12 title and College Football Playoff contender.

Before that, he also led Jackson State to a 27-6 record in three seasons, winning two SWAC conference titles in that time. He also was a two-time SWAC Coach of the Year and took home the SI Sportsman of the Year Award in 2023.

Who are the Dallas Cowboys projected to pick in the first round of the NFL Draft? – Lawrence Dow, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Who the Cowboys pick in the first round seems to be between two guys.

Vinnie Iyer, Sporting News Selection: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

The Cowboys can’t mess around with this position after not doing much to address it last offseason. Ezekiel Elliott is gone again, which should remind them it’s time to reach for a special back in the first round for the first time in nine seasons. Jeanty will deliver as a dynamic, explosive workhorse in their new offense.

Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, USA Today Selection: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

Any attempt to infuse Dallas’ offense with more playmakers will surely have to come through the draft. Will Jerry Jones be able to resist taking top running back and homegrown product Ashton Jeanty in this spot? Burden might be a more reasonable option for the range, and his electric ability in space could provide an immediate lift if he’s utilized correctly.

Josh Edwards, CBS Sports Selection: Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State

Unless Dallas hires Deion Sanders as the head coach and drafts Shedeur Sanders, the Cowboys will be bringing back Dak Prescott next season. When Prescott was at his best, he had a pass-catching running back to take some of the pressure off of him. Ashton Jeanty can serve the same purpose.

Gavino Borquez, Newsweek Selection: Luther Burden III, WR, Missouri

The Cowboys could take Ashton Jeanty, but they resort to a wide receiver to complement CeeDee Lamb and give Dak Prescott another target. Burden is a lethal weapon who plays with slick separation skills, elusiveness, and creativity when the ball is in his hands.